urban neighbourhood quilt

Another quilt completed,   this is the first urban one I made but in my rush did not read the making up instructions properly,  the blocks should have been attached turning them alternately sideways    I think I prefer it this way.  The second one I made is done correctly a photo on my previous blog but will attach it here too so you can see the difference. Quilting is random and had to be close as I used a wadding that had to be quilted no wider than 4" apart,  the wadding I usually use is 10!"   suits me much better.

This year I have also decided to do the rainbow challenge,   this month the colour is purple,  I also am doing the crazy block a month so decided I would link them together,  the block is made but not done any cazy work on it yet.

I have been trying to organise my lap top pictures, gathering into one file all the projects I completed last year,  not sure if I have them all but here is a collage of what I did find.  There are only a few large quilts and unfortunately the biggest one has come out as one of the smallest on the collage!

3 finished quilts

Great news re Richard,   he had a defibulator fitted on fri.day had to go to another hspital for that where he stayed overnight before being transferrd back to Harrogate and may also have a stent fitted as he has a blocked artery at the back of his heart, they are not sure about that  though. He might be going home later this week.  He has a small amount of brain damage which hopefully will improve and cannot remember anything in the 2 weeks prior to the heart attack which is 9 weeks tomorrow. Is now eating proper food and able to walk slowly with 2 sticks so really does not need to be in hospital anymore as he has a wife to care for him at home,  the recovery when it came came so quickly and he is far better than the Doctors said he would be  they talked of him having to go into a home permanently   how wrong they were fortunately.

Sucess I have completed three quilts in the last few days,   one I made from scratch which I thought might be a comfort for Richard when he leaves hosiptal but having shown him a photo he said  "what would I do with that   well maybe Gill would like it"  so I said it was okay he did not need to have it,   I am certainly not giving it to his wife so it will stay with me for now.  I used up some largish scraps and made the churn dash blocks 15" so only needed 16 instead of 25 12" ones then made the border using left over scraps  and used blue as the main colour to tie it all together seeing as it was being made for a boy,  not a blue person really but as it was meant to be for a man. Not a very good picture but the best I could get.

this photo rather dark overall it measures 68" square

Loving the backing  it is a duvet cover from Asda  100% cotton in the sale for £8,  the back is a grey version that will be used as a backing for another quilt. Went back to get some more but they had all gone, cannot complain as I also got 2 super king sized ones again 100% cotton  in a pink paisley for £5 each and a couple of others but they were poly cotton.

This next quilt I think is my favourite of all those I have made so far probably it is because of the colors used. It is called Berry Cross and I am thrilled with it.

Part of the  blocks I quilted with a walking foot and used a hera marker then I did squiggly things in the yellow squares free style. Very free style no 2 blocks are the same.

My final completed quilt is the Urban neighbourhood one,  have done 2 of these this is the second one  the other still on the to do pile.  Helen called when I was handsewing the binding yesterday and said she liked it so it now has a home to go to,  she does not often say anything about what I am doing as she has no interest really so was delighted that she liked it. Placement was not to good here just randomly pulled the cut pieces out of a bag the pink that looks white on the photo though is not so stand out as it looks  here fortunately. Again it has been free motion quilted in the most random way,  I did get better at it but at the start the stitches are too long,  considering redoing some of it but think it can stay the way it is. I used a jelly roll for this and added the black.

I now have 4 more sandwiched waiting to be quilted and three with wadding and backings cut but they can wait aas they are very big and one that I think I am going to remove the border from as I do not like it. Plan to quilt the 4 before I start anything else!!  hopefully.

A couple of photos of Charlie and Teddy Helen`s new cats,  made a mistake last blog and both photos were of Teddy but don`t tell Charlie!
They seem to like the quilt I made for Helen a couple of years ago hiding under it and just having a peep out.

   This is Charlie

We laugh when we see this as it looks like Charlie has a monkey on his back!

here are the pair of them both wanting to be on Helen`s knee. Teddy has on white and one black ear and Charlie has a tiny heart shaped  black mark under his mouth. 

Quilting, cats, Richard update

Beated happy new year to you all.

Now for the wonderful news,  Richard is now out of intensive care following his heart attack. It will be 7 weeks tomorrow  since he had the heart attack and fractured his skull.  We have had some very bad moments and there were times when the Doctors warned us he would not make it but now he is recovering,  has been off the ventilator for over 10 days and breathing on his own. Has fought off 2 chest infections, pneumonia, sepsis and a blood clot in one of his lungs so all in all one tough guy.  Now he needs to start building himself up, is on mashed food but hopes to have proper food soon, still unable to walk as he has lost so much weight only been eating just over a week and is extremely weak,  . The brain is much better than expected and knows us but memory not back to normal,  asked me when Mum was coming to visit,  she passed away 10 years ago but  when reminded he remembered.Cannot remember anything that happened in the 2 weeks prior to the attack but we are very hopeful. Praise be I am sure the prayers so many of you supported us with have helped and saved his life.  Thankyou so much.  His youngest son has to return to the Dominican Republic where he is a teacher next monday   he will go back knowing that his Dad will be well cared for and improving daily.

Helen has 2 new feline friends  unfortubnately Alfie died suddenly on 26th november  we were so upset but now Charlie  and Teddy have come to live with her,  they are rescue brothers 18 months old and vert naughty!  " new quilts to be made but they are not top of the list.

                                                                   Alfie

                                                                   Charlie

                                                                             Teddy

Now for some quilting   I have got the berry cross quilt to the flimsy stage and very pleased with it.

I also made a chair runner a couple of days ago,  I was given a large office chair on wheels  it is ideal for using at the sewing machine cabinet but oh so cold to sit on as it is leather so made the runner, quite pleased as I picked the blocks and worked out sizing etc and even finished it,  so nice to sit on! A couple of years ago would never have dreamt I could have made something without full instructions so feel I have progressed with my quilting.

At the novemeber Leeds MQG I started another urban neighbour hood quilt as I put it together wrong on the first one,  it is now in the flimsy stage, Made from a jelly roll and black fabric for the contrast.

here is the previous one   still a flimsy it might be wrong but I prefer it to the other one

Also completed was the last 2 blocks for the Blossom Hearts BOM

bejewelled

                                                                 nip and tuck

                                                               all 24 blocks  not joined together yet

I think that is enough for now!

Oh yes   facebook  many of you have requested me on facebook but though I do follow some private quilting groups I do not do the facebook thing,  nothing personal but that is why I have not added you   all too complicated for me,  still struggling trying to understand insatgram.